


Mistletoe and Snowflakes

by Youreafeministicon



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barson, Ed Tucker sucks, F/M, Fluff, Mike Dodds is alive, Mistletoe, Peter Stone Sucks, Short Stories, Unproblematic, amanda rollins - Freeform, chief dodds - Freeform, cute af, |Christmas Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 16:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18920758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Youreafeministicon/pseuds/Youreafeministicon
Summary: Barba and Benson get caught under the mistletoe at a holiday party in front of the squad





	Mistletoe and Snowflakes

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick little short that I'm sure has already been done but oh well

Lieutenant Benson smiled at her friend as she was handed a drink. The Christmas Party had taken off at a brisk, but calm pace; there were officers clinking glasses and toasting all around the bar to various things, and there were friends and other colleagues joining in.

  
Fin bumped Liv's shoulder and nodded towards the closing front door, indicating the man who had just walked in. "Your bestie's turned up."

  
Liv's eyes widened at the sight of Barba waltzing his way up to the bar in his three-piece, just off from work. She didn't expect him to be here, he wasn't too much for socialising with anyone besides an exclusive few. But maybe Barba had a little holiday spirit after all.

  
She told Fin, Carisi and Amanda she'd be back and went off. She struggled to snag a spot beside Rafael as it was so jam-packed. She saw his hair was a little messier than usual and his face was flushed. "Quite rough outside? You look a little wind-swept."

  
He turned his attention from the server to Liv, in surprise. A flicker of a smile and his eyes darted down for a moment. "Hey." She smiled at him quickly in return. "What you drinking? It's on me."

  
Liv looked across at the bartender, whom was patiently waiting. "I'm good for now, but thanks. " She raised her rum and coke a little and nodded her thanks.  
The server looked to Barba, his eyebrows raised. "Just a scotch then?" Rafael agreed and thanked the young man.  
He turned back to Olivia with a smirk. "How're you doing?"

  
"Oh, you know. Just trying to keep up with the squad. They seem to be trying to get a head start tonight. " Amanda and Carisi were both on their third and Fin looked on in slight disapproval.

  
Barba scoffed unapologetically at the sight of the group across the crowd. "You could give them a run for their money."  
"Well you certainly could." Liv quipped, knocking his elbow with hers.

  
"I'm not actually sure when last I was drunk, Liv." He caught her eye again with a wide grin. "It's been a few years since I drank that much, intentionally at least."  
The Lieutenant raised her eyebrows in faux impression. "Huh? You must be one of those guys who just loves the tastes of whiskey."

  
Barba grabbed his drink from the bar and took a swig, keeping eye contact and sensing the sarcasm which laced itself in her words. "Scotch whiskey." He corrected.

  
Olivia laughed and looked down to her drink. She felt her face go red then; she didn't know why she felt so embarrassed about it either. She let the silence between them be, concerned that he might get the wrong impression.

Barba reached across and touched her arm. "So, how's Noah doing? He's enjoying pre-school?" He asked.

  
She was happy to reply to that. "Yeah, Noah's great. He's been getting on well with the other kids; he had a play date with his friend, Sarah, the other day. Apparently, he's going to buy a house one day, one they can all live in: him, Sarah and their six dogs." She laughed at the thought of her sons ambition

  
Barba joined in with her. "Wouldn't that be something?" He remarked. "Have you ever had a dog, Olivia?" He raised a brow and finished his drink.

  
"Uh, no. My mom wasn't aptly equipped to deal with animals in the house. I never really had any strong inclination for one. You?" She asked, taking a sip of her drink.

  
"Well, the shortest answer is not really and the longest one goes on for days ... I used to be dog walker in high school, and I was really close to my Abuelita's Chihuahua." He grinned in fond memory. "His name was Tony. Yes, Tony." He hesitated, encouraging Liv's bemusement. "For whatever reason, Abuelita decided that he looked Italian and that he should have an Italian name."

  
"Well, he sounded like a character then." She hesitated again, looking into her friends eyes. "Rafa, why dont you have a dog? Or a girlfriend for that matter!" She regretted asking it as soon as she said it, nonetheless, she tried to laugh it off and hoped he would forget she said it.

  
"Er... Girlfriends and dogs are not the same thing, Liv." He chuckled a little, clearly embarrassed. "I'm at work all day, anyways. It wouldn't be fair to have a dog and no woman would put up with my workaholic tendencies." He signalled the bartender for anther drink.

  
"You're not that bad, you're here. Aren't you?" She challenged, thinking she was just as bad as him.

  
Rafael didn't miss a beat in response. "That's only because you're here too." Neither said a word. Liv went bright red, but she never looked away from him. Rafael closed his eyes in defeated regret, as if he'd slipped up. He cleared his throat and pretended he hadn't said anything. "So, uh, how are things with you and Tucker?" He grabbed his replenished scotch and drank half in one go.

  
"I guess I never told you. Me and Tucker split up a couple months ago. It was mutual." She hadn't said anything on purpose; there was no agenda to it but she just for some reason intentionally avoided talking about it with him.

  
For a split-second Barba looked a mix of shocked and hurt, then he was all concern. "You okay, Liv? He leaned in close, searching her eyes. Why didn't you tell me?"

  
She felt really bad. Rafael Barba was her friend and they were close. She did want to tell him, she really did. But there was something stopping her every time Ed's name was mentioned. "I'm good Rafa, it was sort of our time, really." She avoided the second question.

  
Rafael looked as though he was going to inquire further but he was interrupted. Chief Dodds had come to say hello, he wanted to introduce his prestigious Lieutenant and their prosecutor to a bunch of suits from his office.

  
The night went on. Liv met lots of new faces, having plenty of drinks to go with them. As the night approached its close the bar seemed to get warmer and the music louder; Liv had shared a big slice of Christmas cake with Rollins and she had had a strangely pleasant dance with Carisi to a Christmas classic. She'd also spent the night often close to Barba; they'd bought one another more drinks than either had kept track of and they'd laughed together so much that people looked at them a bit funny every now and then. It was a good night, great in fact.

  
Although, it was heating up quite a lot. Liv decided she needed a breather.

  
Her and Barba grabbed their coats and made their way through the now slightly dozy crowd out the door. It was absolutely freezing outside. Perfect. The cold air hit Olivia's flushed cheeks like the tide of the ocean. Rafa behind her let out a loud gasp and chuckled quietly. "It seems so quiet out here." He said. It was true. The distant sounds of car horns past the street ends and the buzzing of the party goers from inside had nothing on the laughing police officers and blaring of Christmas anthems. New York never seemed so peaceful, even if it really was no different than any other December night. Liv pulled her coat close around her and bounced on her tip toes as Rafa walked to the bottom of the front steps to be by her side. His arm brushed against hers as they stood, looking down the street at nothing in particular. "Tonight's been great. Hasn't it? I swear I haven't laughed that hard since I was a kid."

  
"It's nice to see you relax a little, Rafael. You put to much on your shoulders, you should take the weight off every now and then. In fact, your company is fantastic when you do." She leaned against him a little, drawn in by his warmth.

  
"You know I could say the same thing about you, right?" He snickered.

  
"While that is true..." She trailed off, unable to come up with an excusing comeback.

  
The two stood chatting about none-sense for what felt like ten minutes, Liv still leaning into Rafaels arm and him not protesting. Eventually they conceded it was time to go back in. Just as they turned, Rafael noticed something. "Look, it's snowing." He raised the palm of his hand, catching the tiny flakes he'd spotted. "La preciosa."  
Liv looked at the smile forming on Rafs face, she had become fascinated with his momentous ardour for something so trivial, so simple and insignificant. She had found herself enamoured by his down-played fervour.

  
Her spell of detachedness was interrupted by the doors opening before them. Out came a group of drunken policemen singing _'I wish it could be Christmas Everyday'_ in unison. Her and Barba shifted out the way to let them past.

  
They caught one another's eyes and smiled. "I didn't know you were so easily amused counsellor." Liv said. Her words were mocking but her tone was impressed. She hooked her arm in his and they walked back in together.

  
The music was now calmer and quieter. As well, there seemed to be less people than before crowding every inch of the room. But they till removed their coats and hung them up almost instantly, trying to fend off the persistent heat. They slowly made their way to where they left their group, winding through tables and laughing friends.  
Before they reached the squad, they slowed, nearing a stop, as Rafael whispered a bit of a catty comment to Liv about someone who had given her a dirty look earlier. She burst out laughing, smacking Rafa on the chest.

  
Then there were wolf-whistles. They stopped dead in their tracks, utterly confused. Then Carisi came into view, with a cheery Sargent Dodds on his tail. He shouted with a huge grin on his face in his broad New Yorker accent. "Oooh!! Look who's ended up underneath the mistletoe!"

  
Both the Lieutenants and the counsellors eyes widened in shock. Detective Carisi would never have tried this sober. But to Livs joy or dismay (she didn't know which), when she looked up, there, hanging directly above their heads, was the huge white-berried shrub. She went bright red. Rafael had seen it too. He was quicker and smoother than her though. He laughed off the embarrassment and tried to wave the guys off. But it wasn't working out. Now Fin was there laughing too; he was supposed to be the good influence.  
Rafa caught Livs eye and they both smirked. He leaned forwards to kiss her cheek. Liv felt her face warm up but she persevered; she leaned into his body, able to smell the scotch on his breath and the cologne on his neck. His lips pressed against her cheek. They were soft and electric- or was that just his touch? She grabbed his hand in hers before he could move far back. She looked into his eyes again. Shed never noticed before that they were a very unique colour: his irises had grey and blue flecks running throughout a gorgeous deep army green. She had never felt as charged as that before. The only things she could feel, hear or see were in a two-foot radius; everything else was muffled and blurred. His mouth didn't curl into his cheeky smirk this time. This time he didn't seem to find anything funny about the situation whatsoever.

  
And then, somehow, someway, they were closer than they had ever been. His lips were pressed against hers and hers pressed back against his. Rafaels hand found their way to Livs hair and hers were gripping the back of his suit jacket hard.

  
The two friends stayed like that, totally engulfed in one another's embracing kiss for at least another ten seconds. They didn't hear any of the wolf-whistles or cheers of "About damn time!" from their co-workers and friends. They found it impossible to be distracted by anything besides the others touch.

  
Why the hell didn't they do this years ago?


End file.
